The invention relates to a metal laminate gasket that is mounted between two members coupled to each other, which have holes to be mutually communicated, for sealing the periphery of the holes. The invention relates, in particular, to a metal laminate gasket that is suitably used at the terminal or connecting areas of various supply and exhaust pipes.
It is very commonly known to form a structure in connecting, via a metal laminate gasket having a bead for sealing, two members having holes to be mutually communicated, such as connecting areas of various supply and exhaust pipes. In this connecting structure, flanges, or equivalents thereto, are provided at the connecting areas of the two members, and the flanges are mutually fastened and fixed by bolts at several points around the holes.
The same applies to the connection of a cylinder block and a head block in an internal combustion engine, through a cylinder head gasket.
In a case where, at the connecting areas of such two members, the above-mentioned flanges are fastened and fixed by the above-mentioned bolts at several points around the hole to be mutually communicated, the compressing force working on the bead between the flanges becomes very great at places near the bolts. On the other hand, at places away from the bolts, the compressing forces become weak because their fastening forces have less effect there. As a result, there arises a problem that stable sealing cannot be provided because the bead surface pressure in the gasket around the hole to be mutually communicated becomes unequal. This sort of problem becomes more apparent as the mechanical strength of flanges or equivalents thereto becomes weaker because of saving of material for economy and making the members to be coupled to each other with light weight.
The technical feature covered by this invention is that in connecting two members having holes to be mutually communicated via a metal laminate gasket having a bead at its hole edge by mutually fastening and fixing the two members by means of bolts at several points on the flanges in their connecting areas, the compressing force of the above-mentioned bead generated by the fastening forces of the above-mentioned bolts is made substantially equal in the circumference of the hole edge.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.